DIIV frontman hits out at SXSW

DIIV’s Zachary Cole Smith has hit out at the South by South West (SXSW) industry showcase festival – currently taking place over in Austin, Texas this week – calling it ‘a glorified corporate networking party’.

Here, the music comes last. 5 minute set-up, no sound check, 15 minute set. The “music” element is all a front, it’s the first thing to be compromised. Corporate money everywhere but in the hands of the artists, at what is really just a glorified corporate networking party. Drunk corporate goons and other industry vampires and cocaine. Everyone is drunk, being cool. “Official” bureaucracy and all their mindless rules. Branding, branding, branding. It’s bullshit… sorry.